Posts Categorized: Consumer Technology

Deutsche Telekom has confirmed up to 900,000 customers have had their broadband service cut off following a possible hack of its hardware. Internet access, phone connections and TV reception for those with a certain router have been affected. Source: BBC Technology News Date: November 29th, 2016 Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-38130352 Discussion 1) Is there anything you could do if you… Read more »

Facebook worked on special software so it could potentially accommodate censorship demands in China. Since 2009, the only way to access Facebook in China has been via a virtual private network – software designed to “spoof” your real location and avoid local internet restrictions. Facebook, which has 1.8 billion active users, is aggressively looking to… Read more »

LATE LAST WEEK, a Minionesque vending machine mysteriously appeared in a parking lot near Snap’s original offices in Venice, California. It was named Snapbot, and it was there to sell Specs, the company’s goofy new picture-taking sunglasses, for $130 a pop to anyone who got there fast enough. After 24 hours, the machine disappeared. Source: Wired… Read more »

Snap, the company formerly known as Snapchat, just released its sunglasses with built-in cameras. They’re tough to get, but fun to use and they just might be the first face computer you’ll actually want to wear. Source: Wired Magazine Date: November 17th, 2016 Link to video (under Gadgets area): https://www.wired.com/ Discussion 1) How might a company you work… Read more »

Apple now sells 17 different types of dongle. In its ever-escalating war against connectivity ports, Apple’s latest computers do away with the SD card port, a full-size USB port, and the HDMI port. Instead, you’ll need a dongle to convert those “legacy” connectors, as Apple put it, into the new, smaller USB-C port. Apple’s newest… Read more »

The Chinese are coming and they’re hungry for games companies. They need new content to feed their 560 million avid gamers, who contribute to the biggest gaming market in the world – worth an estimated $24.4bn (£19.8bn) in 2016, according to Newzoo. And this market is growing at around 15% a year. Source: BBC Technology News… Read more »

WALT MARTIN IS kneeling, legs folded behind him, butt resting on his heels. “I’ve got to practice my yoga,” he says, clearly joking. Never mind that we’re in the cab of an 18-wheeler cruising through Colorado at 55 mph and Martin was, until a moment ago, the guy at the wheel. Source: Wired Magazine Date: November 1st,… Read more »

=16 These Intralox conveyor belts are just fascinating to watch. Source: YouTube Date: November 1st, 2016 Link to video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqLYhhV7u7Y&list=PLKfWL8IXgKBte4TfD53pLaHONfSYCX0RH&index=16 Discussion 1) As amazing as this is to just watch, what practical applications can you think of that could use this technology? 2) How might Amazon use this technology?

Last year a new Japanese celebrity burst onto the scene. But “Saya” was a different kind of star, because she is the product of a Tokyo computer lab. And like all “parents”, her creators have big ambitions for her. Source: BBC Asia Date: October 25th, 2016 Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37548733 Discussion 1) Why is the development of completely a realistic… Read more »